UAE-based port operator Gulftainer and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) have signed a strategic agreement to expand aluminium exports through Khorfakkan Port on the UAE’s east coast, providing an alternative export route outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the agreement, EGA will route up to 250,000 tonnes of aluminium through Khorfakkan Port in the first year, rising to up to 300,000 tonnes in the second year. Volumes could increase further in subsequent years, according to the announcement.
The agreement aims to strengthen EGA’s outbound logistics, improve supply-chain resilience and support reliable deliveries to customers in more than 50 countries. Khorfakkan’s location on the UAE’s east coast provides an export gateway that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, diversifying the company’s shipping routes amid regional logistics risks.
Gulftainer will further develop the port’s capabilities to meet EGA’s operational and handling requirements. The partnership is expected to support the growth of EGA’s export volumes while enhancing the efficiency and reliability of aluminium shipments to international markets.
Farid Belbouab, group CEO of Gulftainer, said the agreement would strengthen the resilience of UAE trade by providing a strategic and reliable gateway to global markets for one of the country’s key industrial sectors.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, said the company had already made progress in diversifying its outbound logistics and that the agreement with Gulftainer represented another step towards ensuring reliable deliveries to its global customer base.
EGA is a major global producer of premium aluminium, supplying customers across more than 50 countries. The agreement adds to its efforts to diversify export logistics as the company seeks to accommodate growing demand and maintain access to international markets.
The agreement could strengthen the resilience of UAE aluminium exports by reducing reliance on routes through the Strait of Hormuz. The planned volumes of up to 300,000 tonnes annually from the second year could also increase Khorfakkan Port’s role in regional aluminium logistics. The actual impact will depend on implementation, port capacity and the evolution of EGA’s export requirements.
